The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front on Sunday hailed Prime Minister Imran Khan for his intervention to defer a massive increase in gas tariffs by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet, urging him to reject this proposed hike of up to 191% on permanent basis.
PIAF chairman Mian Nauman Kabir, in a joint statement along with the senior vice chairman Nasir Hameed and vice chairman Javed Iqbal, stated that charges of mismanagement have dogged the government, as the country has been rocketed by a series of crises. Nauman Kabir said that the government has already exploded gas bomb by raising gas prices up to 197 percent last year in July, which has jolted the country’s economy by increasing the cost of production in both agriculture and industrial sectors. The increase in gas prices amounted to taxing the people and imposing a mini-budget on them and destroying the sanctity of the national budget, he added.
Rejecting another massive hike in gas prices, he appealed the PM to freeze the rates of gas as well as electricity, especially for the industry, as it will open floodgates for inflation, which will take a toll on people and the economy.
Mian Nauman Kabir said that settling gas sector circular debt of Rs181 billion by burdening the masses is unjustified. He said that gas tariff hike would trigger inflation and increase poverty in the country as it will also increase tariff of electricity, make production costly and hit exports.
